On Yahoo Answers, anytime somebody asked about how to cast a demon out,I would copy and paste this answer:

Buddhism has never had a case of demonic possession, or a need for Exorcisms, or problems with ghosts or demons, that should tell ya something. The cross thing-a-ma-jig doesn't work like people think it does, ya need something more powerful.

Of course, I really don't know, so to be sure, I figured I ask and see if anybody knows anything.

I live in Magnolial, Texas, which is in the Bible Belt big time, in this small hill-billy inbred hick town there are 24 Churches, and just on the outskirts of the city, in another town, I have found small Vietnamese Buddhist Temples hidden from the Red-Necks out here. They tell me of the horrors that these Pink-Faced Devils have done to them. I have educated many Pink-Faced Devils when they unexpectedly came across me at the Temple, they see me as Jizo, protector of the Holy Dharma, and of women and children. I kind of look like him a little:

Well, there are Buddhist traditions who seriously believe in casting out demons and have practices to do that.It's not my thing or style of Buddhisim, but I'll readily admit I just don't know myself, so I can't say it isn't true.What I would acknowledge is that those who do believe they are afflicted with Demons do feel they are helped by the rites to expel those demons.Whether that is because those demons were really expelled or the demons were only there in the sufferers mind all along...I just don't know.But whatever, from what I'm told , they seem to work.Beyond that, I just can't say.I'm sure other people will be commenting soon enough, anyhow.

Shame on you Shakyamuni for setting the precedent of leaving home.Did you think it was not there-- in your wife's lovely face in your baby's laughter?Did you think you had to go elsewhere (simply) to find it? from - Judyth Collin The Layman's Lament From What Book, 1998, p. 52 Edited by Gary Gach

That remark about "Buddhism has never had a case of demonic possession" is wrong. There have been and are many cases.

Chapter eight of the Shurangama Sutra deals with many demonic forces.

Bodhisattva Hsuan Hua 'exorcised' several cases.

Here is Master Hua talking a little about demonic possession:

Question: What is the cause of insanity?

Answer: In most cases there is a demonic ghost troubling the person, which is the cause of the insanity. It has its ghostly penetrations and so can control the person. Heavenly demons and those of outside ways can do that, and so can li, mei, and wang liang ghosts, as well as deviant spirits and goblins. Once there was a person with that kind of sickness who was unaware of anything, and whom no one could cure. Eventually an exorcist was called in who recited a mantra over a bowl and asked a child to look and say what it saw—which was a snake. The exorcist cut the snake’s reflection with a knife and the person got well.

Later on the person talked of how a big snake beside a temple had prevented him from leaving, until the snake had been hit by lightening and he was able to return. Then in a few days he became sick again, and began moving around like a snake. A witchdoctor was summoned to speak with the snake, which turned out to be the grandparent of the snake that had been struck by lightening, and was making the person crazy.

This kind of thing happens a lot. Usually vengeance is involved when a person goes insane. Perhaps he killed or harmed people, and this is his retribution from creating that karma. So the best thing is not to tie up such conditions, but to hold the five precepts of not killing, not stealing, not committing sexual misconduct, not engaging in false speech, and not taking intoxicants. If you hold the five precepts you won’t have so many involvements. You can recite the Great Compassion Mantra when you are around the insane in order to pacify the deviant spirits and vengeful ghosts.

Depends on what is definition of 'demons' in the Buddha Dharma. The '4 kinds of Maras' comes to mind. Depends on which Tradition one is following. It can range from pacifying to subduing activity... some can be done oneself whilst others may require a group effort or experienced worthy teachers...The 'best exorcism rite' for anyone imo is practice with a worthy teacher, kalyanamitras and one's own daily and faithful Dharma practice ...

Last edited by plwk on Tue Mar 27, 2012 6:14 am, edited 2 times in total.

"All memories and thoughts are the union of emptiness and knowing, the Mind.Without attachment, self-liberating, like a snake in a knot.Through the qualities of meditating in that way,Mental obscurations are purified and the dharmakaya is attained."

We are not living alone. There are spirit and hungry ghost. They are real and not imagination. Some people have the ability to see and some people who cannot see can build that ability to see as well.

Tsongkhapa in his meditaion cave saw this spirit/hungry ghost that want to disturb him. Padmashambava has tackled so many demons during his journey to Tibet. During the construction of Samye Monastery, he has to do something to subdue that local spirit, because during construction, Samya Monastery always collapse after it reached certain levels.

There are many records actually. In the meditation instruction as well, for beginner, it is better not to do a meditation at night, unless you know how to protect yourself.

In the HUsk of Unity by Getse Mahapandita Tsewang Chokdup, he gave a very specific way or visualization in expelling the obstruction forces.

I am not here nor there.I am not right nor wrong.I do not exist neither non-exist.I am not I nor non-I.I am not in samsara nor nirvana.To All Buddhas, I bow down for the teaching of emptiness. Thank You!

Buddhist Prime wrote:I wonder if there are any Buddhist rites for Exorcising Demons?

In the Vajrayana tradition there are many different practices for this. But remember that in Buddhism there is a non-dual understanding of these things.. all beings are interdependent.. and nothing is solid and real in a permanent nature as is believed by Christians.. so-called demons are just another form of suffering sentient being that is in need of compassion.. not something to feel is an enemy. The real enemies are the 5 poisons -- ignorance, hatred, grasping, pride, jealousy... some beings are in such intense patterns of negative action and feedback that they may need to be "liberated", but this is a compassionate transference of their consciousness to a pure dimension where their patterns will dissolve.. I actually own a field recording of Ngakpa Yeshe Dorje doing an exorcism-- you can find it on amazon-- it is called "Tibetan Buddhism Shedur: A Ghost Exorcism Ritual - the Venerable Yeshe Dorje Rinpoche, Master of the Rite" here is a link:

Plenty of rituals. I assisted a Gelugpa Lharampa Geshe with one, which he said was translated into Tibetan by Je Tsongkhapa.It was very effective in removing spirits who were causing some pretty nasty poltergeist-type events in an old cottage. The Catholics had tried already and failed, which was interesting. Yes, there was an element of Chod and other offerings, a crossroads etc etc.

I have also been told that the Heart Sutra, with the claps, encourages them to move on.

As for demonic or 'spirit' possession of a body, I could envisage more than one mind making use of a body, but not simultaneously - think of Tibetan oracles, for example. I've not heard of two minds at the same time, and of course multiple personality disorders would at one time have been understood as 'possession'.

Blue Garuda wrote:Plenty of rituals. I assisted a Gelugpa Lharampa Geshe with one, which he said was translated into Tibetan by Je Tsongkhapa.It was very effective in removing spirits who were causing some pretty nasty poltergeist-type events in an old cottage. The Catholics had tried already and failed, which was interesting. Yes, there was an element of Chod and other offerings, a crossroads etc etc.

It's generally considered that christian exorcisms are not effective against poltergeists. You tend to just piss them off.

Look at the unfathomable spinelessness of man: all the means he's been given to stay alert he uses, in the end, to ornament his sleep. – Rene Daumal